Understanding
by chokeholddiver
Summary: After being injured on a case, Tony must spend the night with Gibbs at Ducky’s insistence.
1. Chapter 1

Spoilers: None

Summary: After being injured on a case, Tony must spend the night with Gibbs at Ducky's insistence.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the NCIS characters, I just wish I did.

* * *

It had been a long case, beginning with two heroin addicts abducting the daughter of a marine and ending with Tony getting shot. After McGee and Abby traced a ransom call that had been made to the parents, Gibbs, Tony, and Kate had burst into the cellar hideout, demanding the release of the small child. One abductor did not like that demand, and swung his gun to the head of Lauren, the innocent young girl. Before Gibbs or Kate could react Tony was lying in between the smoking barrel of the gun and Lauren, after putting two of his own bullets through the heart of the ruthless killer-to-be.

Tony was currently lying underneath the faces of his team, shivering on the cold surface of Ducky's operating tables.

"So how bad is it Doc?" Tony joked, only to wince in pain as his arm wound throbbed with his effort to move.

"Hold still, Tony" Ducky probed his arm again, causing Tony to wince in pain. "Well, it looks like the bullet nicked a good amount of skin off you arm but if you'll let me stitch you up you'll be absolutely fine, in a week or two. I would like to send you home with somebody, though, to make sure you take your meds and heal like I expect you to."

"Ducky, I'm fine on my own, really! I was just planning on going home and watching a good film…maybe something like It's a Wonderful Life…I can watch that movie anytime of the year! Unless, of course, my lovely Katie would like to accompany me home, make sure I get into bed okay…"

"No way!" Kate yelled, "I had to take care of you last time you were shot, remember? And I will never repeat that experience!"

"Oooh! Oooh!" Abby turned to Kate and whispered "Kate and Tony!"

"Shut up, Abs, have you ever tried to deal with him?"

Abby looked like a deer caught in the headlights and quickly said "Oh no, he can't stay with me, he almost broke my coffin last time he stayed with me! McGee you take him!"

"What??" McGee looked horrified beyond belief. "No, not me. Please!"

McGee's protests were lost to Tony as he silently snuck up the stairs, sweating with the pain radiating from his arm. He had expertly snuck in that question for Kate, knowing it would lead into a full team fight. Pushing open the door of the men's bathroom, he entered quickly, not noticing Ducky was following him in.

* * *

"Rocks, paper, scissors!" Abby suggested. "Bossman! You can take him!"

Gibbs had just come through the doors after finally wrapping up the legal aspects of the case, and looked at Abby.

"Take who?"

Abby, McGee, and Kate looked around and for the first time in their heated debate noticed the absence of Ducky and Tony.

"Wait, where…?"

And Gibbs just turned around and headed back upstairs. He knew they weren't in Abby's lab, he had checked in their on his way down to see where everybody was. He also knew Tony was hurt, and Ducky was probably just looking for medical supplies somewhere. Arriving to his desk before the three downstairs, he frowned. Where could they be? As he turned around he almost bumped into Ducky and a rather ashamed looking DiNozzo just coming in from the bathrooms. Deeply surprised, he noted Tony's eyes were red, as if from crying.

"What's up?" He kept his voice gruff, trying to keep out the worry. Tony never cried, especially not over one of his almost routine injuries in the field, no matter how much it hurt.

"I think Tony needs some company tonight," Ducky raised his eyebrows at Gibbs, questioning DiNozzo's state, and upon receiving no answer he squeezed Tony's shoulder and said, "Goodnight, my dear boy. I know Jethro will take care of you, but if you need me, you know my number. Goodnight Jethro." And with that he turned around and swept of the offices and ushered the remaining team members who just arrived from downstairs. They allowed themselves to be led back to the elevator by Ducky, but kept sneaking confused glances towards Tony and Gibbs.

"Come on, DiNozzo. You're coming to my place tonight." Tony looked down at his feet, and when his head came back up it was painfully lit with a forced smile.

"Sure boss, let me grab my things! A sleepover at the Boss's house. This is gonna be fun!"


	2. Chapter 2

The car ride to Gibb's house was mostly quiet, as Tony had fallen asleep within the first two minutes. Gibbs kept sneaking glances at his senior field agent wondering what the hell was going on. Finally, he made an uncharacteristic slow, gentle stop, as they entered his driveway and leaned over to wake up Tony.

"DiNozzo. DiNozzo…" Tony opened his eyes and groaned, quickly shut his eyes and leaned back against the window, exhausted.

"My arm hurts."

"Ya think DiNozzo? You were shot."

"Why am I at your place?"

"I don't know why don't you tell me?"

Tony's eyes shot open in remembrance of what had occurred at headquarters and actually blushed enough for Gibbs to recognize it through the dark.

"Uhh," Tony was at a loss for words.

"C'mon, we'll talk inside."

Gibbs threw his keys down on a table and led Tony into the kitchen, where he took some painkillers out of the cabinet, and threw the bottle at the younger man. He winced as Tony made a clumsy catch with his good hand, and said "Take two of these now, and you can take another two before you go to bed. It's only 1900, we can work on the boat before you need to sleep."

He could sense the hesitation as Tony followed him into the basement, and pointed to a comfortable looking chair in the corner. "Sit." Gibbs picked up a sander and started long practiced strokes.

"What happened between you and Ducky?"

There was a long pause.

"What happened in the men's room?" Gibbs was getting impatient.

"Relax, nothing went down in the men's room." Tony chuckled. Gibbs responded with a trademark stare. "Oh come on Gibbs. Lucky Number Slevin? Josh Hartnett? Bruce Willis? Well, I guess it's not that famous. You should know it anyway; it's such a good film! When Slevin follows the Rabbi's son into the bathroom the detective says-"

"Tony!" Gibbs stalked over and threateningly loomed over Tony's chair. "Hey, I just want to know what's going on. Help me out here…lets just start with why Ducky was so worried? Or maybe why it looked like, I don't know, you had been crying?"

Tony stiffened visibly and lowered his eyes to the ground. Gibbs threw his sandpaper next to the boat and leaned against it, not taking his eyes off Tony.

"It doesn't matter." Gibbs was surprised at the flat response the other man gave him.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? Of course it matters! You were upset enough to be affected at the office, it could have interfered with your work-"

"Is that all that matters to you Gibbs? How I act at the office? Well I didn't let it affect me at work. Only after the case I and no one was going to notice anyway if Ducky hadn't followed me up there." Tony stopped abruptly, embarrassed of his outburst.

Gibbs stared, cursing himself. He wasn't good with people, he didn't mean that as it sounded. Contrary to what people thought, he really cared about Tony. He sort of eased the pain that had haunted him all these years after losing his wife and daughter. He knew he had messed up now, just as he had messed up when he abandoned them all for Mexico. He needed time to heal, but he still shouldn't have gone without more than a

you'll do for Tony.

"Is that what this is about? They care about you, Tony, more than you-"

"Yeah, whatever." Tony knew that sounded like he was still a teenager, but he didn't care.

"Tony." Gibbs sighed, he didn't know how to go on with this.

"Gibbs." Tony sighed, a perfect imitation of his boss. The twinkle was back in his eyes.

Gibbs sighed. Unfortunately, the twinkle in his eyes kept blinking out as Tony struggled to keep his eyes open, and were outlined by dark bags underneath. The tension had been relieved only a little, and he was frustrated Tony wasn't aware of how hard this was for him.

"You win, DiNozzo. For now. I'll get you settled in the guest room but tomorrow we are continuing this."

"Right-o, boss."

Finally Tony was lying in the guest bed, and Gibbs was quietly picking up Tony's bloodstained clothes he had abandoned on the floor. As he turned to leave he heard Tony put on a small child's voice and say,

"Hey Boss, you forgot to tuck me in!"

Gibbs fought to keep a straight face and failed, responding,

"Goodnight Tony," with an affectionate smile.

"Goodnight Boss."


End file.
